China's Factory Recovery Slows As Covid-19 Infections Return

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the official manufacturing Purchasing Manager’s Index fell to 51.3 in January from 51.9 in December

China’s factory activity grew at the slowest pace in five months in January, hit by a wave of domestic coronavirus infections, but still in line with the ongoing recovery in the world’s second-largest economy.

The official manufacturing Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) fell to 51.3 in January from 51.9 in December, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement on Sunday.

It remained above the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction on a monthly basis, but was below the 51.6 expected in a Reuters poll of analyst forecasts.

In January, mainland China reported more than 2,000 local cases of the coronavirus. While the number was small compared with other countries, authorities were concerned about transmission risks during the Lunar New Year travel rush - the world’s biggest annual human migration spanning 40 days from January to February.

During the month several large cities were locked down with tens of millions tested for COVID-19, interrupting factory activity and weighing on the services sector, including logistics and transportation.

“The recent localised epidemic has had a certain impact on the production and operation of some enterprises, and the overall expansion of the manufacturing industry has slowed,” said Zhao Qinghe, an official at the statistics bureau.